A Most Wanted Man

Most of John le Carré's novels are fodder for excellent spy movies, this was proven with 2011's Tinker Sailor Soldier Spy. A Most Wanted Man is probably up there with some of the best spy movies and is helped along by a performance from Philip Seymour Hoffman that I will not soon forget.

This film takes a more mechanical approach to the spy game than Tinker Tailor did. There's no guessing or twists about who is a double, but rather focuses on a more straightforward look at modern espionage and the back-room politics that influence it. Günther Bachmann (Philip Seymour Hoffman) leads a covert team of anti-terrorism agents in Hamburg. Their main objective is to develop sources within the Islamic community to bring down more dangerous targets. They aim to make a young Chechan, Issa Karpov (Grigory Dobrygin), one of these sources by using his lawyer Annabel Richter (Rachel McAdams).

The plot isn't too complex and is rather easy to follow along with. Writer Andrew Bovell conveys the tensity of the spy game quite well and has written some of the more minor characters, such as Robin Wright's American Martha Sullivan, with just enough intrigue that they are not forgotten within the overall plot.

Director Anton Corbijn is mainly a music video director and that comes through in a lot of the tight, claustrophobic shots that is used throughout the film. There are also some really beautiful long takes that add to the characters emotions.

It feels weird writing about an actor's final performance. This is the first time I've done this and it's extremely hard given that that actor has always been one of my favourites. Philip Seymour Hoffman's intense portrayal of the beleaguered Bachmann is probably one of the finer performances his given although not his best. At times his German accent slipped, but not so much you'd notice. At times you really feel for his character, who is under intense pressure from his superiors.

 Rachel McAdams really surprised me with this dramatic turn. She seemed believable in this intense film and could keep up quite well with other more experienced actors in this genre. Robin Wright was fantastic as well and was a far cry from her character on House of Cards.

Willem Dafoe is an old hand when it comes to a German accent and plays brilliantly through some of the most intense scenes in the film. I was a little disappointed with the underuse of Daniel Brühl who is a great actor, but relegated to the background of most scenes.

Verdict: A great send off for an amazing actor. Hoffman dominates almost all scenes of the movie, even the ones he's not in. The story is gripping and enjoyable.